Steel roof for freight-cars.



W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14,1910.

WITNESSES Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS -BHEET 1.

S N. i MlSOIZ ES y Tw7w lNVENTOR ATTORNEY W. B. SYMONs.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 14, 1910.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IZSINVENTOR ATTORNEY MN W k N 0 1%: E N 1 mm *wkw mm w mm LI i NWWITNESSES W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.14,1910.

1,078,968. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

WITNESS S f W ATTORNEY hurrah STATES PATENT orricn.

'WILSGN E. SYMONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIQ.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT-CABS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON E. SrMoNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Steel Roof for F reight-Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to a steel roof for freight cars.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofmetallic roofs for freight cars, and to rovide a rigid water ti ht steelroof of simple and comparative y inexpensive construction, capable ofexpansion and contraction to yield to variations in the temperature andalso to torsional strains, vibrations and movements of the body of thecar, whereby the durability or life of the roof is materially increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steel roof of thischaracter, adapted to be detached without removing a nail or bolt toconvert a freight car of the box type into an open top car to permit thesame to be used in car for hand crops and commodities, readily replacedon the body for enablin the car to be employed for handling hig classmerchandise, such as flour, silks, etc.

place of an extended gondola in-g sugar beets, and other Another objectof the invention is to prbvide means for supporting temporary runningboards in position to enable trainmen to walk over the tops of the carewhen the steel roofshave been removed.

The invention also has for its object to I provide a metallic roof,equipped at the ends grain, coal and other of the car with doors,adapted to permit loaded into the car through the roof thereof and overthe trucks to obviate the necessity of shoveling or otherwisedistributing the load after it has been placed in the car through theside doors thereof, and at the same time to avoid the injury resultingto,

the car from shooting the material through the side "doors withsufficient force to carry it to the ends of the car.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists. in the construction and.

novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims heretoappended; various changes in the form, proportion,

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 14, 1910. Serial No.

and capable of being I commodities to be it being understood thatsacrificing any of the advantages 0 the in vention.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a plan view .of a steel roof, constructedin accord anee with this invention. Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectionalview of the same. F ig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view ofone end of the roof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectionalconstruction for detachably securing the carlines to the sides of thecar. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a ortionof the roof, showing oneof the iin ed doors. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged detail sectional viewson the lines 6-6 and 7--7 respectively of Fig. 5. Figs. 8 and 9 aredetail views of the expansion joint. Fig. 10 is a plan View of the car,the roof bein removed and a temporary running board lming in position.Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 12 is a detailsectional view on the line 12-12 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts in all thefigures of the orawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, the metallic roofis composed of intermediate and end sections1 and 2, connected by trans verse expansion joints 3 and constructed ofsheets of steel of a size to extend from the center to the sides of thecar, and having lap joints 4 at their contiguous transverse edges andprovided with a central butt joint 5 at their adjacent longitudinaledges. The

expansion joints 3, the lap oints 4 and the butt joint- 5 are notclaimed in the present application, as they'form the subject-matter of acompanion application executed of even date herewith.

The lap joint 4 is formed by overlapping the adjacent transverse'edgesof the roof sheets and securing the sametogether by means of rivets 6, astrip or layer 7 of tar paper or other suitable water orweather proofmaterial being interposed between the overlapped portionsof the roofsheets. The adjacent longitudinal edges of the roof sheets are coveredby a welt strip 8, secured by rivets 9 to the roof sheets, a la er 10 oftar paper, or other water or weat IGI' DIOOf material being interposedbetween the welt strip and the roof sheets and secured in'place PatentedNov. 18, 1913.

view, illustrating the APO by the rivets 9. The eirpansion joint 3, as-

- clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings,

consists of two relatively movable overlapped portions or members,Supported by one of the carlines or supporting members 11. One of theportions or members of'the joint is secured by rivets 12 to the carlineand is provided with an upwardly extending flange 13, and theother'portion or member of the jointconsists of an arched hollow, rib14, extending over the flange 13 and pro- 'vided beyond the same with ahorizontal After the sections have been laid on the car their edges arebent down over the fascia strip 16 by means of a "wooden mallet, orother tool, to form depending side and end flanges 17 and 18.

The metallic roof is supported at intervals by the carlines 11, designedto be constructed of channels, Ts or angles and extending entirelyacross the car and having their ends fitted against the side plates 22thereof, and having their terminals supported upon brackets 23. In theaccompanying drawings the carlines consist of channels, and they aresecured to the supporting brackets 23 by means of depending pins ormembers 24, provided at their upper ends with approximately U-shapedheads 25, fitting between the side flanges of the carlines 11 andsecured to the same by rivets 26, orother suitable fastening means,which pierce the heads of the pins or members at opposite sides of thelatter. The brackets 23 are provided with horizontal uppersupportingedges to receive the terminals of the carlines, and the pins or membersextend through vertical openings 27 of ears or lugs 28, and they aresecured 3 in the said openings by wedge-shaped keys 29, extendingthrough slots 30 in the lower por- I tions of the pins. The'supportingbrackets 23 are secured to the sides of the car by upper and lower bolts31. The lower bolt extends through the side plates and the sidesheathing of the car, and the upper bolts also pass through the fasciastrip 16 at points below the depending flanges of the roof. Thewedge-shaped keys lock the separable members of the carline fasteningf'means together and detachably fasten the sections of the car roof tothe car body,

and they enable one section to be removed without detaching another, andthey also permit the entire roof and carlines without removing a singlenail or bolt to be lifted off the car as a unit and moved to a place ofsafety for future use. In applying the roof to the body of the car itsends are securely fastened to the ends of the car, and the keys shouldhave suflicient taper to draw the roof down solidly upon the ends of the'car and upon the end brackets 23, which are angular to fit the cornersof the body of the car. At the sides, the roof is not drawn down astightly as at the ends, and the eyes or openings 27 of the brackets areob-- long to permit a limited movement of the pins 24 in adirection'longitudinally of the car.

"When the roof is detached from the car, the latter is converted into anopen top car of the gondola type, and is especially adapted for handlingsugar beets and other crops or commodities, and it provides a caradapted to be instantly converted into either a closed or open car, andit obviates the necessity of applying racks to gondola or coal cars forthe purpose of handling such commodities, or cutting off the tops of oldbox cars for the same purpose.

When the metallic roof is detached, the carline supporting brackets areadapted to receive transverse rods orsupporting members 32, and may beprovided at their centers with turn'buckles as a means of adjust;

ment of the rods in event of the carbodybulging or otherwise being outof the exact position and the said rods 32 are arranged horizontally andhave depending integral terminal pins or projections 33, which arefitted in the openings of the lugs 28. a The rods 32 are adapted tosupport running boards 34 to enable the crew of a freight train to walkalong the tops of the cars.

The running boards may be secured to the.

transverse supporting rods in any desired manner. In the accompanyingdrawings, they are shown equipped at the lower faces with plates 35straddling the rods and retaining the running boards thereon. Therunning boards may be held against lateral movement by adjustableclamping collars 36, arranged on the latter at opposite sides of therunning boards and provided with clamping screws 37 for engaging therods. Any other suitable means, however, may be employed for retainingthe running boards in position on the supporting rods. The rods may bereadily removed from the sockets or openings of the supporting bracketswhen it is desired to replace the'roof on the car body. The runningboards may if desired be equipped with a hand railing preferablyarranged at one side of the running boards to serve as a means ofsupport to trainmen carlines arranged at intervals, supporting bracketsreceiving the terminals of the carlines, and means for detachablysecuring the carlines to the brackets, said means permit ting a limitedmovement of the carlines in a direction longitudinally of the roof.

8. The combination with a car.body, of a metallic roof includingrelatively movable sections and provided with an expansion joint betweenthe sections arranged transversely of the car and havingcarlinesarranged at intervals, brackets secured to the inner faces ofthe sides of the car and supporting the ends of the carlines andprovided with elongated openings, pins depending from the carlines andextending into the said openings, the latter permitting a limitedmovement of the pins in a direction longitudinally of the roof,'andmeans for securing the pins in the openings.

9. The combination of a metallic roof including relatively movablesections provided with a transverse expansion joint at their meetingedges, the car body, supporting brackets secured to the inner faces ofthe car body, carlines, means forsecuring the roof to the carlines, andmeans for securing the carlines to the brackets, the latter meanspermitting a limited movement of the carlines in a directionlongitudinally of the roof.

10. The combination with a car body, of carlines, a detachable roofcomposed of sections extending entirely across the car body and arrangedupon and permanently secured to the carlines and adapted to be removed'as a unit with the carlines to convert the car body into an open topcar, and means for detachably securing the ends of the carlines to thebody to permit the complete removal of the roof and the carlines fromthe car.

11. The combination with a box car body, of carlines, a detachable roofcomposed of sections extending entirely across the car body and arrangedupon and permanently secured to the carlines and adapted to be removedas a unit with the carlines to convert the car body into an open topcar, and fastening meanslocated interiorly of the car for detachablysecuring the ends of the carlines to the body to permit the completeremoval of the roof and the carlines as a.

unit from the car.

12. The combination with a box car body,

' of brackets secured to the inner faces of the sides ofthe body,carlines extending across the bodyand supported at the ends by thebrackets, a roof secured to the carlines and provided at its sides andends with depending flanges overlapping and loosely arranged on the carbody, and locking devices located within the car at the inner faces ofthe sides thereof and detachably securing the carlines to the bracketsand permitting the removal of the roof and the carlines as a unit.

13. The combination with a box car body, of a roof composed of sectionsextending entirely across the car body, carlines also extending entirelyacross the car body and fitted to and carried by the roof, and means fordetachably securing'theends of the carlines to the car body forretaining the roof on the same, said means permitting the removal of theroof and the carlines as aunit completely from the car.

let. The combination with a box car body, of a detachable roof arrangedupon the car body and composed of relatively movable sections extendingentirely across the car and provided with an expansion joint connectingthe sections, carlines rigidly connected to and carried by the sectionsof the roof, and means for detachably securing the carlines to the carbody to retain the roof thereon and to permit the removal of the roofand the carlines as a unit from the car body.

15. The combination with a. box car body, of a detachable roof arrangedupon the car body and composed of relatively movable sections andprovided with an expansion joint connecting the sections and havingcarlines rigidly connected to and carried by the sections, and means fordetachably securing the carlines to the car body to retain the roofthereon, said means permitting a limited movement of' the sections ofthe roof in a direction longitudinally of the car.

16. The combination with a freight car body, of a detachable roofarranged upon the upper edges of the sides and ends of the body,brackets secured to the body along the inner faces of both sides thereofbeloiv the upper edges of the same, carlines arranged in a plane abovethe brackets and permanently secured to the roof and removable with theroof as a unit from the car body, and means for detachably securing theends of the carlines to the brackets.

17. The combination with a box car body, of carlines, a detachable roofarranged upon and permanently secured to the carlines and adapted to beremoved with the carlines and convert the car body into an open top car,and fastening means located at the inner faces of the sides of the carbody and including separable members connected, respectively, with theends of the carlines and with the car body and detachably lockedtogether for 'removably securing the carlines to the body to permit theremoval of the roof and the carlines as a unit completely from the carbody.

18. A freight car body provided with supporting brackets secured to thecar body along the inner faces of the sides thereof and provided withopenings, and continuous horizontal transverse supporting membersextending entirely across the car and provided with terminal projectionsor pins arranged at an angle to the said members and carried by the sameand passed through the openings in the brackets.

19. The combination with a freight car ,1 body, brackets secured alongthe inner faces of both sides thereof, each bracket being I0 providedwith a vertically disposed openin add continuous members extendingentire y across the car body and supported upon the brackets and havingtheir opposite ends provided with fixed depending pins or rojections toenter the said openings, sai members being adapted to support atemporary running board.

In testimony, that I claim the fore oing as my own, I have heretoaflixed my slgnature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILSON E. SYMONS. lVitnesses J. J. MCCARTHY, E. M, HADLEY.

